Abstract: An indirection mapping data structure can maintain a mapping between logical block addresses used by a host computer and physical data storage locations on a solid state drive. Changes to the indirection mapping data structure can be stored in journals. When a journal is full, the journal can be stored to a predetermined location on the cluster block determined based on the number of entries stored by the journal, leading to a number of journals scattered throughout the cluster block at predetermined locations. Each physical chunk of media, whether written with data or marked as defective is journaled. Such a journaling scheme, where the journal locations are predetermined and each physical chunk of media is journaled is referred to as physical media-aware spatially coupled journaling. During replay the spatially coupled journals can be retrieved from the predefined locations within cluster blocks and used to rebuild the indirection mapping data structure.

Abstract: An indirection mapping data structure can maintain a mapping between logical block addresses used by a host computer and physical data storage locations on a solid state drive. Changes to the indirection mapping data structure can be stored in journals. When a journal is full, the journal can be stored to a predetermined location on the cluster block determined based on the number of entries stored by the journal, leading to a number of journals scattered throughout the cluster block at predetermined locations. Each physical chunk of media, whether written with data or marked as defective is journaled. Such a journaling scheme, where the journal locations are predetermined and each physical chunk of media is journaled is referred to as physical media-aware spatially coupled journaling. During replay the spatially coupled journals can be retrieved from the predefined locations within cluster blocks and used to rebuild the indirection mapping data structure.

Abstract: A solid state storage card includes flash storage devices for storing user data and a serial peripheral interface (SPI) flash storage storing a first set of machine instructions. The solid state card also includes a plurality of processor cores coupled to the flash storage devices and SPI flash storage device. Each processor includes storage for storage of a second set of machine instructions configured to cause one of the processor cores to respond to access requests for the flash storage devices. Upon power-up, no storage in the solid state card contains any of the second set of machine instructions. When executed by one of the processor cores, the first set of machine instructions causes the processor core to initiate a download of the second set of instructions from a device external to the solid state card.

Abstract: An indirection mapping data structure can maintain a mapping between logical block addresses used by a host computer and physical data storage locations on a solid state drive. Changes to the indirection mapping data structure can be stored in journals. When a journal is full, the journal can be stored to a predetermined location on the cluster block determined based on the number of entries stored by the journal, leading to a number of journals scattered throughout the cluster block at predetermined locations. Each physical chunk of media, whether written with data or marked as defective is journaled. Such a journaling scheme, where the journal locations are predetermined and each physical chunk of media is journaled is referred to as physical media-aware spatially coupled journaling. During replay the spatially coupled journals can be retrieved from the predefined locations within cluster blocks and used to rebuild the indirection mapping data structure.

Abstract: An adaptive read algorithm for accessing information stored on a nonvolatile medium. The nonvolatile medium can be organized as a plurality of storage units. A method of servicing a read request to the nonvolatile medium can include recording a history of read-retries for read requests to individual storage units of the nonvolatile medium. The method can include adapting a read algorithm for a read request to a particular storage unit based on the history of the read-retries for the read requests to the individual storage units of the nonvolatile medium.

Abstract: An indirection mapping data structure can maintain a mapping between logical block addresses used by a host computer and physical data storage locations on a solid state drive. Changes to the indirection mapping data structure can be stored in journals. When a journal is full, the journal can be stored to a predetermined location on the cluster block determined based on the number of entries stored by the journal, leading to a number of journals scattered throughout the cluster block at predetermined locations. Each physical chunk of media, whether written with data or marked as defective is journaled. Such a journaling scheme, where the journal locations are predetermined and each physical chunk of media is journaled is referred to as physical media-aware spatially coupled journaling. During replay the spatially coupled journals can be retrieved from the predefined locations within cluster blocks and used to rebuild the indirection mapping data structure.

Abstract: A system and method for managing cache memory of at least one node of a multiple-node storage cluster. A first cache data and a first cache metadata are stored for data transfers between a respective node and regions of a storage cluster receiving at least a first selected number of data transfer requests. When the node is rebooted, a second (new) cache data is stored to replace the first (old) cache data. The second cache data is compiled utilizing the first cache metadata to identify previously cached regions of the storage cluster receiving at least a second selected number of data transfer requests after the node is rebooted. The second selected number of data transfer requests is less than the first selected number of data transfer requests to enable a rapid build of the second cache data.

Abstract: A method and system for IO processing in a storage system is disclosed. In accordance with the present disclosure, a controller may take long term “lease” of a portion (e.g., an LBA range) of a virtual disk of a RAID system and then utilize local locks for IOs directed to the leased portion. The method and system in accordance with the present disclosure eliminates inter-controller communication for the majority of IOs and improves the overall performance for a High Availability Active-Active DAS RAID system.

Abstract: The disclosure is directed to a system and method for managing READ cache memory of at least one node of a multiple-node storage cluster. According to various embodiments, a cache data and a cache metadata are stored for data transfers between a respective node (hereinafter “first node”) and regions of a storage cluster. When the first node is disabled, data transfers are tracked between one or more active nodes of the plurality of nodes and cached regions of the storage cluster. When the first node is rebooted, at least a portion of valid cache data is retained based upon the tracked data transfers. Accordingly, local cache memory does not need to be entirely rebuilt each time a respective node is rebooted.

Abstract: System and techniques for rebuilding a redundant secondary storage cache including a first storage device and a second storage device are described. A metadata entry indicative of a validity of a portion of information stored by a first storage cache device and associated with a region of a primary storage device is received. When the validity of the portion of information associated with the region of the primary storage device is established, a region lock is requested on the region of the primary storage device associated with the portion of information stored by the first storage cache device. Then, the portion of information and the corresponding metadata entry associated with the region of the primary storage device is copied from the first cache storage device to a second storage cache device to rebuild the second storage cache device.

Abstract: A high availability DAS system uses a solid state cache to provide near active-active performance in a DAS duster, while retaining the implementation simplicity of active-passive or dual active system. Each node in the duster may include a solid state cache that stores hot I/O in an active-active mode, which allows the data to be read from or written to the underlying dual-active or active/passive DAS RAID system only when access to the “hot Region” cools down or in the case of Cache Miss. The hot I/O data includes hot read data that accumulated dynamically regardless of ownership of the drives where the hot read data is permanently stored. The hot I/O data also includes hot write data that is mirrored across the solid state cache memories to avoid potential dirty write data conflicts and also to provide High Availability in case of server failures.

Abstract: Nodes in a data storage system having redundant write caches identify when one node fails. A remaining active node stops caching new write operations, and begins flushing cached dirty data. Metadata pertaining to each piece of data flushed from the cache is recorded. Metadata pertaining to new write operations are also recorded a corresponding data flushed immediately when the new write operation involves data in the dirty data cache. When the failed node is restored, the restored node removes all data identified by the metadata from a write cache. Removing such data synchronizes the write cache with all remaining nodes without costly copying operations.

Abstract: The disclosure is directed to a system and method for managing cache memory of at least one node of a multiple-node storage cluster. According to various embodiments, a first cache data and a first cache metadata are stored for data transfers between a respective node and regions of a storage cluster receiving at least a first selected number of data transfer requests. When the node is rebooted, a second (new) cache data is stored to replace the first (old) cache data. The second cache data is compiled utilizing the first cache metadata to identify previously cached regions of the storage cluster receiving at least a second selected number of data transfer requests after the node is rebooted. The second selected number of data transfer requests is less than the first selected number of data transfer requests to enable a rapid build of the second cache data.

Abstract: The disclosure is directed to a system and method for managing READ cache memory of at least one node of a multiple-node storage cluster. According to various embodiments, a cache data and a cache metadata are stored for data transfers between a respective node (hereinafter “first node”) and regions of a storage cluster. When the first node is disabled, data transfers are tracked between one or more active nodes of the plurality of nodes and cached regions of the storage cluster. When the first node is rebooted, at least a portion of valid cache data is retained based upon the tracked data transfers. Accordingly, local cache memory does not need to be entirely rebuilt each time a respective node is rebooted.

Abstract: System and techniques for rebuilding a redundant secondary storage cache including a first storage device and a second storage device are described. A metadata entry indicative of a validity of a portion of information stored by a first storage cache device and associated with a region of a primary storage device is received. When the validity of the portion of information associated with the region of the primary storage device is established, a region lock is requested on the region of the primary storage device associated with the portion of information stored by the first storage cache device. Then, the portion of information and the corresponding metadata entry associated with the region of the primary storage device is copied from the first cache storage device to a second storage cache device to rebuild the second storage cache device.

Abstract: The invention provides for split brain detection and recovery in a DAS cluster data storage system through a secondary network interconnection, such as a SAS link, directly between the DAS controllers. In the event of a communication failure detected on the secondary network, the DAS controllers initiate communications over the primary network, such as an Ethernet used for clustering and failover operations, to diagnose the nature of the failure, which may include a crash of a data storage node or loss of a secondary network link. Once the nature of the failure has been determined, the DAS controllers continue to serve all I/O from the surviving nodes to honor high availability. When the failure has been remedied, the DAS controllers restore any local cache memory that has become stale and return to regular I/O operations.

Abstract: A method and system for IO processing in a storage system is disclosed. In accordance with the present disclosure, a controller may take long term “lease” of a portion (e.g., an LBA range) of a virtual disk of a RAID system and then utilize local locks for IOs directed to the leased portion. The method and system in accordance with the present disclosure eliminates inter-controller communication for the majority of IOs and improves the overall performance for a High Availability Active-Active DAS RAID system.

Abstract: A high availability DAS system uses a solid state cache to provide near active-active performance in a DAS duster, while retaining the implementation simplicity of active-passive or dual active system. Each node in the duster may include a solid state cache that stores hot I/O in an active-active mode, which allows the data to be read from or written to the underlying dual-active or active/passive DAS RAID system only when access to the “hot Region” cools down or in the case of Cache Miss. The hot I/O data includes hot read data that accumulated dynamically regardless of ownership of the drives where the hot read data is permanently stored. The hot I/O data also includes hot write data that is mirrored across the solid state cache memories to avoid potential dirty write data conflicts and also to provide High Availability in case of server failures.